Caption: Fracture at base of skull. Labelled artwork of a linear fracture of the right occipital bone at the base of the skull. At top left is a partial 3D view of the skull. The main artwork shows a cross-section through the skull seen from above (superior view). The front of the skull is at top. The fracture in the skull extends to the foramen magnum (lower centre), the space through which the brainstem and spinal cord pass. Skull fractures are usually due to blunt force trauma and can cause internal bleeding and brain damage. Fractures of the base of the skull (basilar skull fracture) are rare, but serious cases can be fatal.